This time of the year is rife with a number of debates. Turkey or chicken on Christmas? A Christmas Carol or Home Alone? Can brussels sprouts be omitted from the Christmas Dinner this year? And the most controversial of all — to have a real or fake Christmas tree?
There are pros and cons to both, of course. But while few can disagree that anything really compares to the authentic pine scent filling your home, maintaining a real Christmas tree is undeniably a lot of hassle. The constant watering, for one, and crawling under prickly pines to gauge the level of water needed. And the endless shedding of the pine needles you seem to continue finding in every crevice of your house until July…
This is where the automatic Christmas tree watering system can come to the rescue. Essentially, what it does is hydrate your beloved tree in the most discrete and decorative way. And we think it's genius! Here's everything you need to know about it.
The Christmas Tree Watering System
This contraption takes your Christmas decorating ideas to a whole new level. It uses a siphon design to transfer water from a tank into the base of your tree, keeping it hydrated throughout the holiday period.
While you can create your own DIY contraption to manually do this, an automatic watering system has the added benefit of being fitted with a sensor that detects when your tree needs watering—no more scrabbling around under the tree trying to blindly gauge whether it's drunk its supply dry.
We’ve found this particularly clever Automatic Christmas Tree Watering System Device from Amazon, which can be disguised as a gift under your tree. The HoHoHoH2O™ is an automatic watering system that comes camouflaged as a gift in two colorways and promises to solve all your holiday watering woes.
Price: $99.95
Dimensions: 11.5"D x 14"W x 9.5"H
The gift-disguised device which promises to provide hassle-free holiday watering.
Is it Worth it?
Watering houseplants, particularly your beloved Christmas tree, will give you a fresh and festive indoor garden that you do not want to miss out on.
There’s no greater shame than spending huge amounts of time and money decking out your home for Christmas, only to have the centerpiece wither and shed before Christmas has even arrived. Caring for Christmas trees can be deceptively tricky, and it can be hard to know how much attention they require.
"A very common mistake in caring for a real Christmas tree is not watering it enough and not having a tree stand with a reservoir big enough to accommodate the water your tree needs," says Marsha Gray, an expert and executive director of the Real Christmas Tree Board.
"Folks should water their trees daily and make sure their stand reservoir stays full," explains Marsha. But if this sounds like a lot of maintenance, especially during this busy festive period when you can be in and out of town visiting family, an automated watering system can also help take some of the burden off your hands.
How Does it Work?
So, how does it work? The device has a tube sensor running from a water tank to the tree's base. This ensures it has just the right amount of water, automatically stopping when the water runs out. The water tank holds up to 2.5 gallons of water, which is enough to keep an average-height tree watered for around a week, making for minimal-effort tree maintenance. "A capacity of at least 1 to 1.5 gallons works for most trees," says Marsha. "A Christmas tree can drink about a quart of water per inch of trunk diameter." Perhaps the most whimsical part of the operation is that when the tank needs refilling, the device sends an alert in the form of a flashing red Rudolph nose light on the gift’s wrapping. For a less cute but perhaps more practical option, you can opt for a sound alert.
Of course, the Christmas gift wrapping won’t be to everyone’s taste or fit in with your carefully curated holiday decorating palette. But luckily, thanks to the easily-wrappable box shape, there’s ample potential to give the box a makeover that’s more in keeping with your scheme. Or, depending on how ample your tree is, you can always craftily hide it around the back.
Judging by the reviews, customers are pretty happy with this tree-watering system. And while the price is slightly higher than other tree watering systems for what appears to be a pretty simple design, for many customers, the peace of mind it gives makes it entirely worth every penny. "I would definitely suggest this to others," writes one reviewer. "My Christmas tree stayed green and hydrated long past Christmas and we bought it the weekend after Thanksgiving."
However, perhaps due to the product's simplicity, others have been left disappointed with its longevity. The most common issue is that after a positive first run with the product, it seems to falter on its second outing the next year. But the positive news is a pretty much unanimous glowing review of the company’s customer service, so any problems can be resolved quickly.
Could this be the solution to everyone’s most begrudged part of their Christmas to-do list?
Christmas Tree Watering System Alternatives
Price: $27.99
This cheaper alternative also holds 2.5 gallons of water in its tank, disguised as a (somewhat less authentic) gift. This box can also be easily folded and stowed away for the rest of the year.
